Sports News Roundup: Spain's Bautista Agut out of Davis Cup after father's death; Simpson finishes strong to lead RSM Classic

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Doping: Russian athletics federation president provisionally suspended: AIU

The president of Russia's athletics federation and several other federation officials were suspended on Thursday by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for serious breaches of anti-doping rules, adding to the federation's woes ahead of next year's Olympics. The AIU, which oversees integrity issues in global athletics including doping, said the provisional suspensions were linked to an investigation into whereabouts violations committed by Russian high jumper Danil Lysenko, which they said the officials had obstructed.

Spain's Bautista Agut out of Davis Cup after father's death

Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut has withdrawn from the Davis Cup Finals after the death of his father on Thursday. Bautista Agut played in Spain's victories over Russia and Croatia but left the team and returned to Castellon after the health of his father Joaquin deteriorated.

Women drivers can succeed in Formula E, says Venturi's Wolff

Formula E starts its sixth season in Saudi Arabia on Friday with an all-male cast of drivers but Venturi's Susie Wolff, the only woman to run a team in the electric series, says change will come. While a woman has not started a Formula One grand prix since the late Italian Lella Lombardi in 1976, three have competed in Formula E since the city-based championship began in 2014.

NBA roundup: Clippers win OT thriller over Celtics

Lou Williams scored 27 points, and Paul George added 25 points and eight assists to help the Los Angeles Clippers notch an intense 107-104 overtime victory over the visiting Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. Kawhi Leonard returned from a three-game absence caused by a knee injury to score 17 points on 7-of-20 shooting. Patrick Beverley corralled a career-best 16 rebounds to go along with 14 points and seven assists, and JaMychal Green added 10 points as Los Angeles won its third straight game.

Canada see off Australia to reach Davis Cup semis

Canada booked their place in the Davis Cup semi-finals as Vasek Pospisil and Denis Shapovalov won the deciding rubber against Australia on Thursday. The 150th-ranked Pospisil, who has had an inspired week in Madrid, gave Canada the lead by beating John Millman 7-6(7) 6-4 in the opening singles at La Caja Magica.

'Ride on, Jake': Jake Burton Carpenter, who took snowboarding from hobby to global sport, dies

Jake Burton Carpenter, who helped propel snowboarding from hobby to a global sport over the last four decades, has died of complications from recurring cancer, his company said on Thursday. He was 65. Carpenter, who was also known as Jake Burton, died on Wednesday surrounded by family and loved ones, his Vermont-based company, Burton Snowboards, said on a recorded phone message.

Olympics: Canadian Cliff finding quick success in marathon

Rachel Cliff says she is not running with a chip on her shoulder but her results since a bold switch to the marathon from the 5,000 meters might suggest otherwise as the Canadian looks to punch her ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Cliff, in only her second career marathon, shattered the Canadian record in March at the Nagoya Women's Marathon in Japan where her time of two hours, 26 minutes 56 seconds was 64 seconds faster than the previous national mark set in 2013.

Unhappy fans cannot sue over Mayweather-Pacquiao bout: U.S. court

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday said boxing fans who felt cheated after learning that Manny Pacquiao had been injured before fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. cannot pursue class-action litigation because the 2015 welterweight bout dubbed the "Fight of the Century" proved to be a letdown. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 that fans and pay-per-view subscribers who paid hundreds of millions of dollars to watch a "yawner" of a fight "got what they paid for" when Mayweather and Pacquiao stepped into a Las Vegas ring, with Mayweather winning a unanimous 12-round decision.

Simpson finishes strong to lead RSM Classic

American Webb Simpson birdied his last three holes to take a one-stroke lead in the first round of the RSM Classic in Georgia on Thursday. Simpson's lone bogey came on his second hole but he recovered to finish with eight birdies for a seven-under-par 65 on a sunny day at the Plantation course on Sea Island, one of two courses used in the PGA Tour's final event of the year.

NFL upholds Browns DE Garrett's suspension, ending season

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett's suspension for his role in a brawl with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week was upheld on Thursday, ensuring he will miss at least the rest of the 2019 season. Appeals officer James Thrash made the ruling, which will keep Garrett out of Cleveland's final six regular-season games and any postseason games -- if the Browns qualify -- before having to apply for reinstatement from commissioner Roger Goodell in 2020.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)